Hackett on Politics: Legislate utility service, not profits

Sunday

Apr 28, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 28, 2013 at 8:51 PM

Consumers should make consumer choices

RAY HACKETT

With all due respect to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and members of the General Assembly, I’m not comfortable having any of you making consumer choices for me.
I don’t have a great deal of confidence in Connecticut Light & Power — based on spending several weeks in the dark during recent storms — but I have even less confidence in the state deciding for me who will be my primary electricity supplier.
I appreciate your wanting to help me out and save me a few bucks, but I’m quite capable of making my own choices — so butt out.
I choose to be one of CL&P’s standard rate customers because I don’t have the time or the inclination to examine my electric bill every month to see if I can do better by switching to one of the new electric distributors who might be offering a lower rate this week — but not necessarily that same lower rate the following week.
The electricity will still be delivered on the same electric poles and wires that deliver it now, so when it come to power outages, it doesn’t matter who I’m buying the electricity from. When the wires go down, there’s no delivery.
I choose to pay what might be a higher rate today because I’m lazy, and I don’t want to monitor and review the electric bill every month — which by the way, CL&P will still be sending me. For me, not having to do that is a convenience that I’m willing to pay for.
So this idea that I — and some 799,999 of my new best friends across the state — should be bundled and then auctioned off to the highest bidder without my approval just so that the state can cash in on a questionable one-time infusion of what some estimate to be $80 million, is an overreach by government.
If these new electric distributing companies want my business, they should be dealing with me — not with the state behind my back.
I would much rather prefer that government spend more time regulating utilities so that the services they do offer are more reliable. Fewer days, weeks and hours spent in darkness each time a breeze picks up would be an improvement.
And, I might add, that is exactly why I’m also not very happy about another proposal currently working its way through the Legislature that would deregulate telephone service, essentially allowing giant phone companies like AT&T to drop landline service in areas in the state deemed “not profitable.”
I have landline phone service for a reason: Because I don’t have much confidence in CL&P. When the lights go out, I want to be able to close my eyes at night and know that in case of an emergency I don’t have to worry if my cell phone battery is low.
Besides, cell phone service in Connecticut isn’t that great even with fully charged batteries.
If phone companies want the right to provide phone service to residents, then they should have to provide that service to anyone who wants it — not pick and choose who they can make a buck off of.
I’m sorry if my business isn’t as good for the bottom line than it would be if AT&T could cut its loses and just drop me as a customer, but I don’t see where that’s any of the state’s business.
If phone companies want to increase profits by cutting costs, start with the executive pay, bonuses and lucrative pensions and buyouts offered to top executives — not by cutting services to poor neighborhoods or customers like me who have the most basic — and most inexpensive — service offered.
If I’m going to lose my landline phone service, I want it to be my choice — not some politician who may not survive his or her next re-election bid.
Ray Hackett is The Bulletin’s editorial page editor. He has more than 25 years covering Connecticut politics. He can be reached at (860) 425-4225 or rhackett@norwichbulletin.com.